John McKesson produced to this Congress the following account of disbursements for their use, (exclusive of an account of postage, which, he says, he has not here in the Chamber,) viz:

Ordered, That Peter Van Brugh Livingston, Esq., as Treasurer of this Congress, pay to John McKesson the sum of one hundred and eighty-one Pounds, for his services as one of the Secretaries of this Congress, to this day included; and the farther sum of nine Pounds four Shillings and nine Pence for his disbursements (exclusive of Postage) for the use of this Congress, which two sums amount in the whole to the sum of one hundred and ninety Pounds four Shillings and nine Pence, exclusive of what is due to him for Postage.

Mr. Scott, from the Committee appointed to take into consideration General Washington’s Letter on the subject of having the Militia in readiness, delivered in the Report of the said Committee, which he read in his place, and delivered in at the Chair, where the same was again read, and is as follows:

Your Committee do report, that they have deliberately considered the condition of the Militia of this Colony as distinguished into Minute-men and common Militia, a distinction which they are of opinion was ill-timed and unfortunate, by not being well adapted to the state of things in this Colony; and, as they propose to offer some reasons for a change of the plan of defence by the natural strength of the Colony, they beg leave to begin by assigning these reasons.

The Continental Congress, on the 18th of July last, among other things, resolved, that one-fourth part of the Militia in every Colony be selected for Minute-men, of such persons as are willing to enter into this necessary service, of defending their rights against Ministerial tyranny, formed into companies and battalions, and their officers, under the degree of Field-Officers, chosen by the men, and Commissioned, as well as the Field-Officers, by the respective Assemblies or Conventions; to be ready on the shortest notice to march to any place where their assistance might be required for the defence of their own or a neighbouring Colony; and that as these Minute-men might eventually be called to action before the whole body could be sufficiently trained, it was therefore recommended that a more particular and diligent attention should be paid to their instruction in military discipline; and that such of the Minute-men as desire it should be relieved by new drafts from the whole body of the Militia, once in four months; and that where in any Colony a Militia was already formed, under regulations approved by the Convention of such Colony, or by such Assemblies as are annually elected, the said Congress referred it to the discretion of such Convention or Assembly either to adopt the foregoing regulations, in the whole or in part, or to continue their former, as they, on consideration of all circumstances, should think best. Upon this plan the Minute-men of this Colony was formed, and your Committee report the following inconveniences attending the execution of that plan, to wit:

1st. All the Officers, as well those of the common Militia as of the Minute-men, under the degree of Field-Officers, are made eligible by the privates of each company; and therefore, as the above-mentioned regulation for Minute-men gives a choice of Minute officers by one-fourth of the Militia, and a succession of privates is provided for by drafts, it follows that, in the succession, three-fourths of the Militia will be subject to officers not of their own election, contrary to the evident design of Congress.

2dly. That, in the regulation above-mentioned by the Continental Congress, for the appointment of officers, those under the degree of Field are placed in the election of the people, they conceive it to be their undoubted right so to elect; and, as the succession by draft will exclude three-fourths of the Militia from such election, there is no possibility of supplying a succession of privates upon the principle whereon the Minute-men are established. From whence it follows,

3dly. That, throughout the different Minute Regiments in the Colony, while the different corps of officers are complete, the Regiments, as to privates, are and must of necessity continue very deficient, unless some new regulation be made; therefore we report it as the opinion of your Committee—

1st. That the distinction between Minute-men and common Militia, which seems to be a consequence of the aforesaid resolve of the Continental Congress, be henceforth abolished, that thereby the Militia of the Colony may be again reduced to one common mass.

2dly. That therefore all the commissions for Minute officers be forthwith recalled, and that every private be placed under his proper Militia officer, leaving each Regiment to be officered according to the mode prescribed; that is to say, those under the degree of Field-Officers, by election of the privates, and those above that degree, by the appointment of the Provincial Congress.

3dly. As upon this plan many officers may be reduced to the station of privates, and it would be very degrading to compel those whose appointment as officers of Minute-men must be a clear proof of their distinguished attachment to the publick cause, to appear in the ranks, your Committee report it as their opinion, that such gentlemen as have been appointed Minute officers, and will be reduced in consequence of the reform now proposed, be not enrolled among the Militia, nor be compelled to do military duties required by the Militia regulations, but that they be requested by this Congress to keep themselves well equipped, as the Militia regulations require; your Committee not doubting that the laudable spirit which entitled them to a preference as officers will induce them, upon any publick emergency, to turn out in defence of their country in the character of volunteers.

4thly. As your Committee consider the City and County of New-York, Richmond County, and King’s County, as most liable to a sudden invasion, and as the more immediate object of his Excellency General Washington’s request to provide him with a Militia aid, in case of an invasion, seems to have a more immediate reference to those Counties, your Committee therefore report it as their opinion, that the whole of the Militia of the said three Counties, forming together the New-York Brigade, be required to hold themselves completely provided, according to the Militia regulations, to be at the command of his said Excellency, or the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental forces on the spot for the time being, at a minute’s warning, upon a proper order to be issued by the Commanding Officer of the Militia for that purpose.

5thly. That it is the opinion of your Committee that one-third part of all the rest of the Militia, without abating any part of the duty prescribed to the Militia in general, be selected and prepared to turn out at the command of the Militia Commanding Officer, in case of an alarm or invasion, under the following regulations, to wit:

That, to the end that such selected Militia may at all times be ready for immediate service, your Committee do advise that they be selected in manner following, that is to say: That a Major-General be appointed to command the Militia of the whole Colony; that the office of Brigadier-General, in every brigade, be filled up, according to the former military arrangement, by Provincial Congress; that the Major-General, when appointed, do forthwith issue his orders to the several Brigadiers-General, who, in consequence thereof, are to issue their orders, respectively, to the respective Colonels or other Commanding Officers of the several Battalions or Regiments under their command, requiring them to cause to be selected by ballot one-third part of the Militia of each Battalion, or Regiment, to be ready to march at a minute’s warning, accoutred as the Militia regulations require, and with five days’ provisions; which men, so selected, shall be ready to march at a minute’s warning, and shall keep themselves in such readiness for one whole year; at the expiration of which, another third of each whole battalion shall be balloted for the like service for one year, excluding those from the ballot who shall have already served; and that for the